Composed by The National Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE), The National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) the report has three main conclusions:
- Top-level leadership and ownership of this agenda is required
- Academic faculties and students need to find innovative ways to integrate entrepreneurship in their subject discipline
- It is crucial to involve entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial organisations.
The implementation framework offered in the report aims to help HEI develop environments to nurture students’ entrepreneurial mindsets, behaviours, skills and opportunities.
The framework has three key principles:
- The need for an enabling institutional environment where individuals are motivated and inspired to seek and engage in entrepreneurial opportunities which are relevant to their aspirations
- The engagement of key stakeholders within and outside the institution which encourages entrepreneurial opportunities
- The development of entrepreneurial pedagogic approaches in teaching learning and support practices which support existing goals, outcomes and assessment processes.
Creating an enabling environment which develops entrepreneurial graduates successfully requires commitment from key stakeholders. The report identifies priority actions which would help ensure a campus-wide approach to implementing the framework.
The following recommendations are taken from the report as examples of entrepreneurial practice across the globe.
To ensure a joined up approach Vice-Chancellors are urged to:
- Champion enterprise and entrepreneurship education both inside and outside the university
- Encourage a coordinated approach to link opportunities for enterprise and entrepreneurship
- Invest in staff development that enhances professional capability in enterprise and entrepreneurship education
- Make bold changes to reward the behaviour of academics who work with entrepreneurial organisations and businesses.
Academic Faculties are encouraged to demonstrate to teaching staff how entrepreneurship is relevant across subjects and disciplines using links with business, entrepreneurial alumni and social enterprise.
The report emphasises the role of entrepreneurship educators in designing subject curriculum which introduces entrepreneurship and promotes collaboration across faculties to help academics understand the application of entrepreneurship within subject disciplines.
Entrepreneurs have a wealth of experience and skills which would be of benefit to HEI and could engage in numerous opportunities such as guest lecturer, entrepreneur-in-residence, mentor, role model, and member of curriculum advisory committees.
Students are recommended to seek opportunities to engage with entrepreneurial networks, enrol on entrepreneurship courses, and participate in extra-curricular activities and international opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial and personal skills.
Recommendations for Government involvement include implementing the European Union’s Oslo Agenda which promotes the integration of the learning experience of enterprise and entrepreneurship across all subject areas from primary school, through to secondary school, vocational education and university.
Case examples are included in the report to give examples of how various actions have been put into practice. To view these and to download a full copy of the report visit www.cihe-uk.com/docs/events/0809DEGReport.pdf